"At that time I called it my mini mid-life crisis," singer Becky G explains of her decision to pursue a career in music. "I had a moment of 'Oh my God, what am I going to do with my life?'" This sentiment probably seems familiar to most who've determined what career path they'd follow, but the difference is that Becky G's crisis occurred when the Inglewood, CA native turned ten. Now 16, Becky has inked a record deal with producer Becky is signed to Dr. Luke's Kemosabe, a division of Sony Music, and RCA Records, and will unveil her debut EP Play It Again tomorrow, July 16.

Dr. Luke, the man responsible for hits by Katy Perry, Ke$ha, and Kelly Clarkson, found Becky's cover songs on YouTube and signed her almost immediately. Since then, the singer spent time in the studio with everyone from Pitbull to will.i.am working on both this EP and what will become her debut album. Dr. Luke even enlisted Jennifer Lopez to appear in Becky's video for her J. Lo tribute song "Becky From The Block" earlier this year. Plus, Becky G is the newest face of Cover Girl, making her the brand's youngest spokesmodel. So how is the singer handling it all? With her mid-life crisis now behind her, pretty well it seems.

How would you describe your music?

My musical style is urban pop. I'm a rapper, but I love me some pop hooks. My song "Play It Again" is a perfect example of my music because the verses go so hard, and they're so urban; and then this pop hook comes out of nowhere and socks you in the face, and makes you want to dance. That's what you can expect from this EP. I'm also really exploring the Latin influence in my life and putting that into my music as well.

When do you expect your full-length album to come out?

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For the album, we're looking at the top of next year—like January or February.

What will you do between now and then?

Touring. I'm already getting a taste of what my touring life is going to be like. I'm doing radio promo right now. But I definitely look forward to playing places I've never been before.

You've collaborated with a lot of different artists already. Is there anyone you really hope to work with in the future?

Working with Bruno Mars would be really awesome. I'm such a fan of his, and I love that he's a real artist. A true artist is someone who's the visionary behind the sound of their music—in the songwriting, the outfits, and the staging of the music. He writes his own music, plays instruments, and is a really good performer.

How did J. Lo's cameo in your "Becky From The Block" video come about?

Having J. Lo in my music video was awesome because when I was writing the cover of [her song] "Jenny From The Block" I never thought she'd even listen to it. I was in awe. The night I recorded it, they sent it over to J. Lo. She listened to it, and a few days later showed up at the recording studio. We got hang out. She brought the song and asked to be in the video. She even asked if our outfits would go together.

How does your style compare with someone like J. Lo's?

My own personal style is definitely urban but girly. I don't know if it's because I'm a rapper but I love big, fake gold chains and lots of jewelry and sneakers. But I love occasionally wearing heels.

How do you make sure a big, fake gold chain looks classy?

I like to balance it out. My favorite way to do it is putting the chain over a plain white tank or undershirt and then add a nice black blazer and wedges or Jeffrey Campbell boots. I think dressing it up balances the street look.

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Which other pop artists do you think have done a really good job of cultivating an interesting style that helps augment their music?

There are so many people. I love people who dress how they feel, and change it depending on the day. I look up to Rihanna and Rita Ora. They obviously wear a lot of gold jewelry and have this urban feel to them.

You also just signed on to be a Cover Girl. How did that come about?

I'm the youngest Cover Girl, which is crazy to say because I grew up watching Cover Girl commercials and it was the first makeup I ever bought. I met with them, and they basically just offered me my deal. I was already a really big fan of the brand, so it was a match made in heaven.

Does it feel like you're bringing a sense of diversity to the brand?

Yeah! It says a lot that Cover Girl signed a 16 year old. Now makeup brands are opening up to the younger demographic. Cover Girl is really catering to the fact that girls are using makeup at a younger age. It's a way for us to express ourselves, and I feel really honored that they chose me to be the face for that. And also the fact that I am Mexican-American and Latina is important.

Have any of the musicians or producers you've worked with given you a good piece of advice on how to survive all of this?

Dr. Luke has taught me the important of patience. When you're so new to the game and you're so excited, you just want to go, go, go. When I face something like writer's block–which I've been experiencing lately–he says "No, just be patient. Go have a snack or talk to someone. Get your mind off it, and when you come back, take your time and it will come to you." That's true also when it comes to figuring out which director we want to use for a music video or something. Learning to be patience is the main thing I've taken away from all this, and Luke has really shown me the importance of that.

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